Jonty Mark

By Jonty Mark

Football Editor


Which players could Pitso take from Sundowns to Cairo?

The new Al Ahly coach may well look to South African shores when it comes to bringing players in to help him at the Red Devils


Pitso Mosimane’s move from Mamelodi Sundowns to take up the reins at Al Ahly is imminent, with one report from Egypt suggesting he could arrive in Cairo as early as Thursday.

Mosimane is set to join the biggest and most successful club in Africa, with a transfer budget that even outstrips that of Sundowns, meaning that the Masandawana coaching legend is almost certain to try and pry some of his prize assets away from Choorklop.

READ MORE: Pitso Mosimane and Mamelodi Sundowns – A Match Made in Heaven

Phakaaathi takes a look at three  Sundowns players who could make the move with Mosimane to North Africa.

Gaston Sirino

The Uruguayan has had another standout season with Sundowns, his wonderful wing play contributing a key role in the side’s run to a domestic treble.

At 29, Sirino would no doubt jump at the chance of one final lucrative contract at the top of the game, with his wages likely to get a serious boost with a move to Cairo. Sirino has explained already the role Mosimane played in bringing him to Sundowns in 2017.

“He told me about the Champions League victory and the success the club enjoyed. That was enough for me to take up the challenge and explore this opportunity under the guidance of Coach Pitso, who made me feel welcome and made it easy for me to adjust to the league and my teammates,” said Sirino

Rivaldo Coetzee

Rivaldo Coetzee was all set for a move to Glasgow Celtic in 2017, when a knee injury and a failed medical intervened.

Mamelodi Sundowns stepped in ,and have helped the 23 year-old revive his career which saw him play a massive role in consecutive Absa Premiership triumphs for Sundowns between 2018 and 2020.

The youngster, having already shown his ambition to play overseas, has a versatility that could well be attractive to a club like Al Ahly. “Rivaldo is an unbelievable player – he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves,” Mosimane told journalists recently.

“Sometimes people don’t like him and I don’t know why they don’t like him. He is an accurate passer with the right and left foot and he wins headers in the midfield – brings the ball back. But it takes time, maybe people will start realising why we pick him sometimes.”

Motjeka Madisha

The 25 year-old has had a breakout season in the Absa Premiership, starting all-but three of Sundowns’ games in their run to a third successive league title in the 2019/20 campaign.

Mosimane showed his faith in Madisha when he kept him in the side for a league game against Orlando Pirates, just a few days after a howler against Bidvest Wits had almost cost his team dearly in the Nedbank Cup semifinals.

“Madisha came up well. It’s very important for us as coaches to build the confidence of the players, not only to the player himself but the other players, so that they know (they have my support) when they did not do well, after they’ve done so well for a … long time,” said Mosimane.

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